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File Storage · head to head

Nasuni vs VAST Data

Nasuni logo

Nasuni

File Storage

Cloud file storage that keeps the authoritative copy in object storage and caches it at each site

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VAST Data logo

VAST Data

File Storage

All-flash storage designed to make hard disk tiers unnecessary

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Nasuni subscription is based on managed capacity, so cold data that would cost almost nothing in an archive tier keeps paying the full platform rate, and there is limited incentive structure to delete.; VAST Data data reduction ratios drive the economics, and datasets that are already compressed, such as media or encrypted files, reduce poorly and destroy the cost per terabyte case.
  • They diverge on capability: Nasuni covers Edge caching appliances, VAST Data covers Disaggregated architecture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Nasuni and VAST Data actually diverge.

Attributes where Nasuni and VAST Data differ
AttributeNasuniVAST Data
PlatformsWeb, Windows, VMware, Hyper-V, AWS, AzureLinux

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (File Storage).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Nasuni

  • Edge caching appliances
  • Object storage back end
  • Continuous versioning
  • Global file lock
  • Rapid site recovery
  • Ransomware detection

Only in VAST Data

  • Disaggregated architecture
  • Similarity-based reduction
  • All-flash single tier
  • Multi-protocol access
  • Wide erasure coding
  • GPU-oriented throughput
  • Snapshots and replication

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Nasuni

  • Consolidating file servers across many branch offices onto one namespace without shipping data between sitesnot VAST Data
  • Replacing a NAS plus backup plus offsite replication stack with a single recovery modelnot VAST Data
  • Engineering or media teams in different regions who need to work on the same large project filesnot VAST Data
  • An organisation that has been hit by ransomware on file shares and needs version level rollback rather than tape restoresnot VAST Data

VAST Data

  • A GPU training cluster where storage throughput, not compute, is the bottleneck on job completionnot Nasuni
  • A genomics group holding petabytes of sequencing output that must stay immediately readable rather than archived to tapenot Nasuni
  • A quantitative finance team running backtests over historical market data that a disk tier cannot serve fast enoughnot Nasuni
  • An organisation consolidating a fast tier and an archive tier into one system to reduce rack space and power drawnot Nasuni

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Nasuni

  • Subscription is based on managed capacity, so cold data that would cost almost nothing in an archive tier keeps paying the full platform rate, and there is limited incentive structure to delete.
  • Every site needs an appliance, virtual or physical, which is a footprint and a patching obligation at locations that previously had only a file server or nothing.
  • A read that misses the local cache is fetched from object storage, so the first access to a cold large file is at cloud latency and users experience it as the system being slow at random.
  • Global file lock serialises access across regions, so genuinely collaborative editing of the same large files still involves waiting for another site to release the lock rather than merging.
  • The object storage underneath is your contract, so API transaction and egress charges from Azure or AWS land on your cloud bill and are not covered by the Nasuni subscription you were quoted against.

VAST Data

  • Data reduction ratios drive the economics, and datasets that are already compressed, such as media or encrypted files, reduce poorly and destroy the cost per terabyte case.
  • There is a minimum viable cluster size, so the entry cost is high and the platform is not sensible for a small footprint however attractive the architecture is.
  • Pricing is quoted against effective capacity after reduction, which means the price you signed depends on an assumption about your own data that only becomes measurable after deployment.
  • The platform has expanded into database and data catalogue functions, which broadens the roadmap but means buyers evaluating it as a file system must be careful not to be sold an adjacent product they will not use.
  • As a relatively young vendor in a market of long-lived incumbents, buyers with ten year retention requirements should press on long term support commitments and hardware availability rather than assume them.

Pricing, plan by plan

Nasuni

On request
  • Nasuni File Data Platform$undefined/year
    • Subscription based on managed capacity
    • Edge appliances at each site
    • Continuous versioning and rapid recovery

VAST Data

On request
  • VAST Data Platform$undefined/year
    • Priced per usable capacity after data reduction
    • Hardware and software sold together or via certified partners
    • Subscription and capital purchase options

Which should you pick?

Choose Nasuni if

  • You need edge caching appliances.
  • You work on Web, Windows, VMware, Hyper-V, AWS, Azure.
  • You also want object storage back end.
Nasuni review

Choose VAST Data if

  • You need disaggregated architecture.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want similarity-based reduction.
VAST Data review

Questions people ask

Is Nasuni or VAST Data better?
Neither clearly leads. Nasuni starts at On request and VAST Data at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Nasuni or VAST Data?
Nasuni starts at On request and VAST Data at On request.
Does Nasuni or VAST Data run on more platforms?
Nasuni runs on Web, Windows, VMware, Hyper-V, AWS, Azure. VAST Data runs on Linux.
What is Nasuni best used for?
Nasuni is most often used for consolidating file servers across many branch offices onto one namespace without shipping data between sites, replacing a nas plus backup plus offsite replication stack with a single recovery model, engineering or media teams in different regions who need to work on the same large project files, an organisation that has been hit by ransomware on file shares and needs version level rollback rather than tape restores. Of those, consolidating file servers across many branch offices onto one namespace without shipping data between sites and replacing a nas plus backup plus offsite replication stack with a single recovery model are not what VAST Data is typically brought in for.
What can Nasuni do that VAST Data cannot?
Nasuni covers Edge caching appliances, Object storage back end, Continuous versioning, Global file lock. VAST Data covers Disaggregated architecture, Similarity-based reduction, All-flash single tier, Multi-protocol access.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Nasuni: Do I still need a backup product?

That is the pitch: continuous versioning in object storage replaces the backup schedule for file data. Databases and virtual machines still need their own tooling.

VAST Data: Do we still need an archive tier?

That is the central claim, and it holds when your data reduces well. Run a reduction assessment on your actual dataset before accepting the economics.

Nasuni: Who owns the storage account?

You do. Nasuni writes into object storage you contract for, which also means the cloud provider bills you directly for it.

VAST Data: How is capacity priced?

On usable capacity after data reduction, quoted rather than published. That makes the reduction ratio assumption the most important number in the contract.

Nasuni: How fast is recovery of a whole site?

An appliance can be serving files within hours because data is pulled on demand, but performance stays degraded while the cache refills.

VAST Data: Is it suitable for a small deployment?

No. There is a minimum cluster size and the entry cost reflects it. Small footprints are better served elsewhere.

Nasuni: Is pricing published?

No. Nasuni sells through quotes based on managed capacity and site count, so comparisons need a real proposal rather than a list price.

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